Six Things You Should Know About Selling Your Aircraft
This is an excerpt from:
” A Guide to Sales Success in a Challenging Economy; Six Things You Should Know About Selling Your Aircraft”
that I contributed to. The entire guide is available for download at Taylor Greenwood Photography’s website.
Introduction – What sells a Private Jet or Helicopter?
An aircraft will sell itself, if it is appropriately priced for the condition that it is in.
Get an honest Market Analysis of your aircraft. Today’s buyer is very sophisticated and not easily fooled by a low budget paint and interior refurbishment.
Remember:
• Always represent your aircraft in a clear an honest fashion.
• A good photographer is worth his weight in gold, a poorly photographed aircraft will be overlooked in print and on the web.
• Have reasonable expectations and be flexible there are no longer lines waiting to buy your aircraft.
• Never hire a broker that wants to purchase your aircraft for their inventory they will see a huge profit, not you.
• Aircraft in prime condition with excellent history sell quickly at premium prices.
• Aircraft in poor condition with disorganized records sell slowly at subprime prices.
Is it cost effective to bring your aircraft up to prime condition?
In most cases YES, bringing an aircraft up to the new EASA standards will allow it to be exported easily and increase its marketability. New paint, interior and recent heavy maintenance checks at a reputable center are always good selling points.
Remember the ATC saying “Best equipped aircraft is the Best served”.
Ivan Klugman, President: Integral Aviation Solutions Inc International Helicopter Sales Discount Aircraft Brokers
Bombardier Global Express
Bombardier introduced the Global Express in 1999 it’s a large Cabin and ultra long range business jet. Capable of going between most of the worlds cities non stop. Powered by Rolls Royce engines with a modern airframe it’s giving Gulfstream a run for the title of king of the corporate fleet. Choosing between Gulfstream and Global is like choosing between BMW and MB. They are both excellent aircraft aircraft.
Some Global Express numbers: Cabin 6’3′” height, 8’3″ wide and 48′ long. Range 6200 NM
Link to Technical specs. from Bombardier
There were 160 Global Express produced of which 12 are on the market. Priced between 44 and 58 million. Pricing update:Sept 09: Global prices have fallen and starting prices are in the high twenties and new aircraft are available….
IAS comments: The Global Express has the largest volume cabin of the business jets and excellent range. There is a strong demand for the Global Express and in fact a 9 year old Global is trading for about the same price as it sold for new. The Global Express is a modern, safe and reliable aircraft.
Ivan Klugman www.inavsol.com
Unique Paint Scheme on Boeing 737 / Boeing BBJ
I spotted this aircraft in Edinburgh, Scotland and want to share it with my readers. It’s very refreshing to see something this unique and bold.
Challenger 601
Another wonderful design of Bill Lear the Challengers original name was the Learstar. Bomdardier renamed it the Challenger prior to the first delivery of the 600 series aircraft. The 601 started deliveries in 1983 and was a strong seller until 1996 when the longer range Challenger 604 replaced it in the lineup. The Challenger 601 is a Super Mid Sized class aircraft with easy coast to coast range and perhaps a NY to Shannon flight. It has the widest body in it’s class and makes those longer flights very comfortable.
Challenger 601 specs.(please confirm for your serial number aircraft) Cabin height 6’2″, Width 8’4″ and Length 28′. Range 3200 Miles
There were 255 Challenger 601s built of which 70 are on the market.
IAS comments: The Challenger 601 is still a very viable aircraft. It can be acquired at a very comfortable level and has a stable value. The Challenger 601 allows you to enjoy a Super Mid sized class aircraft with cost comparable to some aircraft that have half the cabin volume.
Ivan Klugman www.inavsol.com
Dassault Falcon Jet 7X NEWS: IAS now has an exprienced Falcon Jet team onsite in LIT
This is the Latest and Greatest from our friends at Falcon Jet ultra long range with a bit of a micro cabin The7x has the smallest cabin in the 6000nm class aircraft however life in the business jet market is all about tradeoffs. The Falcon does have great field performance and advertises low operational costs. The cockpit looks like the Starship Enterprise 4 or 5 it’s certainly more advanced than the first couple. Being a B777 pilot I’m familiar with fly by wire and the handling qualities should be fantastic. I’m a little concerned about the Honeywell Easy displays, Falcon touts they were designed by fighter pilots perhaps they should have consulted a corporate pilot, the screens at times seem cluttered and display too much information. Yes there can be too much information, the Global Vision system based on the Rockwell Collins’ Pro Line Fusion avionics appears much cleaner system.
Some specs: Cabin 6’4”, height 7’8” length 39’. Range about 6000nm
The 7X is in high demand.
IAS comments: the Falcon 7 x is a pilot pleaser as all Falcons have been. It has the ability to fly 6000nm from a rather short field that may make the only aircraft for some. There seem to be a few slots on the market due to current conditions and these may prove to be a great opportunity for entre into service or investment.
Ivan Klugman
email: ivan@inavsol.com
Integral Aviation Solutions Inc: www.inavsol.com
Learjet 55
Learjet has been analogous to the business jet since the mid sixties. Bill Lear could be considered the father of the modern business jet. The midsized Learjet 55 produced in 1981 through 1990 has been a favorite with private individuals, corporations and air taxi operators. Its excellent performance was highlighted in 1983 when it set six “time to climb” records for its class.
Some stats for the Learjet 55 are: cabin height 5’9”, width 5’10” length 16’10”
and range 2200 miles.
IAS comments: The Learjet 55 ’s excellent performance, reliability and low operational costs have made it a desirable aircraft to all. The Learjet 55 is a great aircraft to get your feet wet in the business aviation without a large investment. One of Bob’s favorite projects is to totally refurbish a Learjet 55 and produce a “like new” aircraft for under 4 million dollars with the ramp appeal of a 15 million dollar Learjet 60.
Ivan Klugman
Consultants roll in Aircraft Acquisition
Aircraft acquisition can be a trying experience for the uninitiated. There are mazes of Manufacturers’ sales teams and aircraft brokers to navigate. Those unfamiliar with the inner workings can end up in the wrong aircraft, paying more than necessary and/or waiting years longer than required for a new aircraft. The people new to the industry need the help of a professional aviation consultant who is working for them only through this process. A professional aviation consultant can interpret all the “aviation lingo” into understandable layman’s terms. You need an aviation consultant who is independent and not trying to sell an aircraft from his own inventory. An aviation consultant’s primary concern is your best interest and safety.
Ivan Klugman
Boeing BBJ / Boeing 737/Bizliner
The Boeing 737 entered service in 1963 it’s the most worlds popular airliner with about 6000 units in service. The BBJ program has delivered about 130 aircraft for the corporate market since 1998. The popularity and global acceptance of the Boeing make it an easy airplane to support due to the vast resources of the world’s airlines willing to maintain it at almost every commercial airport.
Some BBJ /Boeing 737 Stats: Cabin HUGE by corporate standards there are a few models available ranging in length from 79 to 98 feet long, width and height are all about the same at 7’1’ height and 11’7’ wide. Square footage is between 800 and 1000 square feet. The Boeing does not fly as high nor fast as some of its competitors but it’s so comfortable in the back does it really matter? Range 5000 to 6000+ miles
IAS comments: If you desire a large cabin Head of State level aircraft and don’t have a need to go into a few of the smaller corporate airports the Boeing BBJ or Boeing 737 may fit your needs. It’s a luxurious, reliable and safe aircraft. There are a few ways to acquire a BBJ/ Boeing 737: purchase a new one from Boeing, buy a pre owned BBJ or the most cost effective manner is to acquire a Boeing 737 airliner and convert it for corporate service for a fraction of the cost of a new BBJ. Having flown the Boeing around the world for thousands of hours, I can say from firsthand experience that it’s a straight forward aircraft, reliable and safe. Even the most demanding owners can have all the amenities they desire in the cabin of the BBJ/ Boeing 737.
Boeing BBJ website: http://www.boeing.com/commercial/bbj/
Ivan Klugman
Bombardier Challenger 300
Bomdardier Challenger 300: I’m inspired writing this weeks blog due to the fact that I’ve discussed this airframe many times with Bob and we both agree that this is the “BEST IN CLASS” :Super Mid Sized business Jet. It has adequate sized cabin, Great performance and range adequate to go from NYC to western Europe.
Some highlights: Cabin 29′long,6’1″height and 7’3″width. Range about 3400miles.
Challenger started being delivered in 2004 and has beein high demand ever since with a long waiting list.
IAS Comments: This Best of Breed would make a fine aircraft to own and enjoy flying. Due to current market conditions there are also some opportunities to acquire an aircraft to trade for a gain.
Ivan Klugman www.inavsol.com